SYNOPSIS
After the death of his father, JEROME ADAMS flies back to his hometown Cape Town from Johannesburg, after a 10 year absence. Uninterested in being around his father’s club and minstrels, Jerome hopes to return to Johannesburg soon after the funeral. Given their toxic relationship, Jerome is surprised to discover that his father has left him THE GOEMA CLUB and The Umbrella Men minstrel troupe.
Biography
John Barker is a South African filmmaker based in Johannesburg. He is best known for his feature film
directorial debut BUNNY CHOW. The film was officially selected to screen at the TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, AFI Los Angeles, ROTTERDAM (TIGER AWARDS) LOCARNO
and RAINDANCE in 2006. The film received many international and local awards.
John is born to parents Clive Barker (national soccer coach) and Yvonne Barker. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, John made a documentary SOUTH OF THE UMBILO about his childhood growing up in the southern suburbs of Durban, South Africa which produced many talented soccer players and coaches including his father Clive Barker.
John wrote, directed and produced South Africa’s first music mockumentary BLU CHEEZ, South Africa’s worst rock band. He gained recognition in SA for his controversial short film on the QUICKIES series.
He next directed the music documentary KWAITO GENERALS which focused on the KWAITO movement of the late nineties and early 2000s. He went on to direct 5 ON THE STREET music documentaries throughout Africa for Channel O.
During this time he joined THE PURE MONATE SHOW (Iconic sketch comedy show). He directed and wrote on season 1 and 2.
He then wrote, produced and directed BUNNY CHOW which employed a retro scripting technique with the actors improvising their dialogue to communicate the outlined script, written by Barker and David Kibuuka (currently writer/producer on the Daily Show) and retro scripted with Kagiso Lediga.
Feature films 31 MILLION REASONS and the acclaimed music documentary on the rock band CASSETTE followed.
John then joined SA’s most successful film franchise SPUD, directing SPUD 3 with John Cleese and Troye Sivan.
After this commercial venture he dived back into indie filmmaking, writing directing and producing WONDER BOY FOR PRESIDENT – a political satire on the ANC, starring many of the same actors/comedians from BUNNY CHOW.
Following the film John joined BOMB PRODUCTIONS as head director on ISIBAYA, ISITHEMBISO, AYEYA and the critically acclaimed period TV show THE ROAD (set in SOPHIA TOWN). He then directed BET’s first daily drama ISONO.
John has recently completed his 15 year journey film THE UMBRELLA MEN which he co wrote, directed and produced with Joel Phiri from KAE. LOLLY, the Lolly Jackson gangster film with Sharlto Copley and THE UMBRELLA II are in pre production. An 8 part documentary series BAFANA THE BOYS
about soccer in SA, is in pre prod.
